He went to more Rebel games when he was living in Jackson than he does now that he's living further from Oxford in Ocean Springs, but given his pedigree and family connections, distance can't detract from his love of the school.

Recruiting, however, can change perspectives quickly, even for the son of a former Ole Miss standout. So when Noblin arrived in Oxford on Wednesday to watch Ole Miss practice and spend some time with the Rebels' coaches, it was as a recruit and not as a fan.

"I've always been an Ole Miss fan, but now that the whole recruiting thing is starting, it's a little bit different," said Noblin, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound athlete. "You're looking at schools as to where you're going to end up the next few years as opposed to wanting them to win a game."

The son of former Ole Miss safety Jeff Noblin, Sam Noblin has been entertaining overtures from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, LSU, Duke, Clemson and UCLA. The Rebels have yet to offer Noblin a scholarship, in large part because they apparently haven't decided which position he'll play at the next level.

"I talked to (Ole Miss wide receivers) Coach (Ron) Dickerson (Jr.) for a little while (Wednesday)," Noblin said. "We talked about what position I would play. With all the many positions Ole Miss runs, he said I'd fit in as a quarterback or a wide receiver and I could play in the 'Wild Rebel.' I played quarterback, safety and outside linebacker last season. I've always grown up playing quarterback, but getting on the other side of the ball is always fun."

Some of the other schools recruiting Noblin, he said, are recruiting him strictly as a quarterback while "a lot of schools have said they want me as a quarterback/athlete kind of deal."

Noblin classified his trip to Ole Miss as "great. I had a great time. I really enjoyed being on campus and being with the coaches and seeing the facilities. It was great."

"Coach Dickerson and (Ole Miss offensive coordinator) Coach (Kent) Austin said they would come down for a day during our spring training and see a practice and they asked me to come up for one day of the three-day camp or for the senior camp."